New York, 19 June 2026
Madam President,
The Delegation of the Holy See welcomes the convening of this first interactive dialogue with the Co-Chairs of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wishes to thank both Professor Bengio and Ms. Ressa for their briefings.
As Pope Leo XIV has emphasised in his recent Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, new technologies are not yet fully predictable. “This complicates the assessment of their potential impact and the long-term effects they may have on both the dignity of individuals and the common good.”[1]
In light of these considerations, the Holy See welcomes the mission entrusted to the Scientific Panel to issue evidence-based scientific assessments and to evaluate carefully the risks and impacts of AI, in order to ensure a sound scientific foundation for its governance. [2]
In less than one month, the Scientific Panel will present its first annual report at the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Geneva. It is our hope that this report will help inform the international community’s discussions at a critical moment.
To that respect, a rigorous assessment of both the opportunities and the risks associated with AI should be seen not as an obstacle to progress, but as an act of responsibility. This is especially important given the widening gap between the rapid pace of technological change and the slower development of national and international norms, institutional frameworks, and safeguards needed to address its implications.
Madam President,
Technology is never neutral. It inevitably reflects the priorities and assumptions of those who design, finance, regulate, and use it. Every system embodies choices through what it measures, ignores, and optimises. For this reason, ethical considerations must inform the technical dimensions from the outset, rather than being treated as an afterthought.
In fact, as Pope Leo XIV highlighted, “ethical discernment cannot be limited to asking whether we are using a system for good or bad purposes; it must also examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it.”[3]
The Holy See remains committed to engaging constructively in international efforts to ensure that Artificial Intelligence promotes human dignity, preserves the God-given vocation of the human person and upholds the common good.
I thank you Madam President.
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[1] Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 4.
[2] Cf. A/RES/79/325, para. 1(a).
[3] Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 104.
